For the third year in a row, the very best racers on the planet will be attacking the courses in Old Québec and on Mount Royal at the Québec City and Montréal Grands Prix Cyclistes (GPCQM), the only two North American stops on the UCI WorldTour circuit, on September 7th and 9th. The 2011 races attracted more than 275,000 spectators and were broadcast to more than 75 countries, while generating more than $56 million in direct and indirect economic benefits for Québec.

GPCQM President Serge Arsenault - photo by Pasquale Stalteri, GPCQM

The 2012 edition was introduced this Monday [June 18th] at 11 am (EST) by GPCQM President Serge Arsenault with representatives of the city of Montréal, Québecor, Transat and Kia.

The Participants • 168 competitors, representing the 18 ProTeams on the UCI WorldTour circuit, along with three Professional Continental squads invited by the race organizer, will race on the Québec City and Montréal courses in early September. • The three Professional Continental teams are Team SpiderTech Powered by C10 (the Canadian team with the highest calibre international licence), Team Europcar, and Cofidis. • Last year, Philippe Gilbert, WorldTour leader, and Portugal’s Alberto Rui Costa, won in Québec City and Montréal respectively.

The Course • The Québec circuit is 12.6 kilometres long, lapped 16 times for a total distance of 201.6 kilometres. It follows the roads of Old Québec and borders the St. Lawrence River. • The Montréal circuit measures 12.1 kilometres, lapped 17 times for a total distance of 205.7 kilometres. It follows the roads of Mount Royal. The 1974 World Championships, the 1976 Olympic Games and the GP des Amériques from 1988 to 1992 took place there. • Former world leader and French racer, Charly Mottet is GPCQM’S technical adviser. He will be at the Tour de France from June 30th to July 22nd.

The Challenge Sprint Pro • The world premiere edition of this innovative event, created by the GPCQM organizer, took place last year and was enthusiastically received by the professional teams, each of which voluntarily entered one racer. It was won by Danish rider Michael Morkov. • The 2012 edition will be held in Québec City, on Grande Allée, on September 6th. • The event includes a series of elimination heats of three or four riders over a one-kilometre distance, until the grand finale. • To round out the field of 24 starters, the 21 professional cyclists will be joined by three Canadian sprinters who will have qualified during the Canadian Road Championships, being held June 21st to 24th at Lac-Mégantic, Québec.

New for 2012 • Our new partnership with the media giant Québecor, which will broadcast the races, will ensure a larger coverage of the events. • Many facilities, including grandstands, will be implemented on the two courses to offer spectators a privileged view of the races. • The GPCQM organizers are also launching their very first line of merchandise, in partnership with world-renowned Québec manufacturer Louis Garneau.

Partners • The Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, the City of Québec, the City of Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, Québecor, Kia and Transat.

Serge Arsenault, GPCQM President: “We are pleased to organize the third edition of the GP. Each year, we are making further efforts to enhance the race experience for the thousands of fans who will be attending the events, which stretch over more than 200 kilometres on urban circuits in Québec City and Montréal. The Challenge Sprint offers cycling an innovative concept which has obtained unanimous support. Ensuring a great spectator experience is key to the longevity of a high-profile sports event like this one. With that in mind, we’re expanding the experience for everyone who’ll be attending the races, through improved hospitality services as well as additional services for the general public. Also, our new partnership with Québecor means viewers in Québec will be able to enjoy large-scale TV coverage of the races, both live and tape- delayed, on TVA and TVA Sports networks.”

Renewal of the GPC licence from 2014 through 2017 • Last Friday, the Québec City and Montréal Grands Prix Cyclistes organization had the privilege of submitting to the UCI Professional Cycling Council its application to renew its UCI WorldTour licence, accompanied by the organizers of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, the Clásica Ciclista San Sebastián, the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour of Hangzhou.